Nozzle for a suction cleaner

ABSTRACT

A NOZZLE FOR A SUCTION CLEANER IN WHICH THE EFFECTIVE WIDTH OF THE NOZZLE CAN BE READILY REDUCED TO ENABLE NORMALLY INACCESSIBLE AREAS TO BE CLEANED SAID NOZZLE COMPRISING A CENTRAL SECTION HAVING A TUBULAR SPIGOT ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO SAID SUCTION CLEANER AND A PAIR OF WING EXTENSIONS DISPOSED ONE ON EACH SIDE OF THE CENTRAL SECTION,   CHARACTERISED IN THAT SAID WING SECTIONS ARE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID CENTRAL SECTION SO THAT THEY CAN BE FOLDED FROM A POSITION IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID CENTRAL SECTION TO A POSITION INCLINED THERETO TO THEREBY REDUCE THE WIDTH OF SAID NOZZLE.

Sept. 28, 1971 E. TACOMA ETAL 3,608,126

NOZZLE FOR A SUCTION CLEANER Filed April 28, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet";

uvveuroks EELCO TACOMA 0 MN 0mm TON MM ATT'O RNEY Sept. 28, 1971 5.1'AC0MA E-TAI. 3,608,126

NOZZLE FOR A SUCTION CLEANER Filed April 28, 1969 4 2 ShOGtS-Shflflt '8 INVFKTQK,

COMA o & AN cmcu To/v MThER b M ra-9%? United States Patent 3,608,126 NOZZLE FOR A SUCTION CLEANER Eelco Tacoma, 20 Elgon Hill, Willeton, Western Australia, Australia, and Ian Crichton Miller, 9 Beverley Terrace, South Guildford, Western Australia, Australia Filed Apr. 28, 1969, Ser. No. 819,601 Int. Cl. A471 9/02 US. Cl. 15-418 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A nozzle for a suction cleaner in which the effective width of the nozzle can be readily reduced to enable normally inaccessible areas to be cleaned said nozzle comprising a central section having a tubular spigot adapted to be connected to said suction cleaner and a pair of wing extensions disposed one on each side of the central section, characterised in that said wing sections are pivotally mounted on said central section so that they can be folded from a position in alignment with said central section to a position inclined thereto to thereby reduce the width of said nozzle.

This invention relates to a nozzle for a suction cleaner.

The object of the present invention is to provide a nozzle for a suction cleaner in which the effective width of the nozzle can be readily reduced to enable normally inaccessible areas to be cleaned.

According to the present invention there is provided a nozzle for a suction cleaner, comprising a central section having a tubular spigot adapted to be connected to said suction cleaner and a pair of Wing extensions disposed one on each side of the central section, characterised in that said wing sections are pivotally mounted on said central section so that they can be folded from a position in alignment with said central section to a position inclined thereto to thereby reduce the width of said nozzle.

The invention may be better understood by reference to the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

.FIG. 1 is a plan view of the nozzle in an extended position;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the nozzle in a folded position;

FIG. 3 is a view from beneath the nozzle when in the extended position;

FIG. 4 is a view from beneath the nozzle when in the folded position; and

FIG. 5 is a rear elevation showing half the nozzle in the extended position.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings the nozzle comprises generally a central section 11 and a pair of hinged wing sections 12, the wing sections being capable of movement in a substantially horizontal plane when the nozzle is in its normal operating position. The central section 11 is provided with a substantially hollow cylindrical spigot 13 inclined at an angle to the upper surface thereof, the spigot 13 being adapted to be coupled to the normal flexible hose of a suction cleaner in a conventional manner. The hinge connection 14 between each wing section 12 and the central section 11 is made preferably at the leading vertical face 15 of the nozzle, the wing sec tions 12 being so hinged as to be folded rearwardly of the central section, portion of the upper surface of the wing sections 12 moving beneath the upper surface of the central section 11. The trailing face 16 of the central section 11 is provided with a pair of hinged flaps .17 which open rearwardly to allow the upper surface and portion of the trailing face 18 of each of the wing sections 12 to pass beneath the upper surface of the central section 11. The flaps 17 are biased by spring means 19 so as to be normally in alignment with the trailing face 16 of the central section 11. The ends of the spring means 19 are attached to upwardly projecting posts 20 and 21 located on the upper surface of the central section 11 and on the upper edge of the flaps 17 respectively. The flaps 17 may also be provided with latch means which co-operate with the trailing face 18 of the wing sections 12 to hold the wing sections in the folded position as seen in- FIGS. 2 and 4. Preferably the latch means comprises hook shaped portions 22 on the lower edge of the flaps 17 which portions engage slots 23 formed in the wing sections 12.

The trailing face 18 of each of the wing sections 12 is provided with a plurality of apertures 24 which are closed when the wing sections are in the unfolded or extended position and which are opened when the wing sections are in the folded position, the apertures 24 being opened and closed by means of a plate member 25 having a similar plurality of apertures 26 therein, the plate member 25 being in sliding engagement with the interior surface of the trailing face 18 of the wing sections and being biased by spring means to close the apertures 24 in the traling face 18 when the wing sections 12 are in the unfolded position. The spring means preferably comprise a coiled spring 27 positioned around a spring rod 28 extending horizontally outwardly from the plate member 25, the spring 27 being held between a first bearing surface 29 on the plate member 25 and a second bearing surface 30 on the interior surface of the trailing face 18 of the wing sections 12.

In the unfolded position the plate members 25 protrude past the inner end of the trailing face 18 of the wing sections 12, the distance which the plate members protrude past the inner end being such that when the wing sections 12 are in the folded position the protruding end of the plate member is forced back due to contact with the inner surface of the leading face \15 of the central section 11, and the aperture 26 in the plate member 25 and the apertures 24 in the trailing face of the wing sections 12 are aligned to provide an opening therethrough.

The lower edge of the leading face of the nozzle is preferably provided with a protective rubber or the like strip 31, whilst the trailing face of the central section 11 may be provided with a small roller 32 mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, the roller 32 being positioned so as to keep the lower edge of the trailing face of the nozzle just clear of the ground.

Whilst the invention has been described with reference to wing sections which rotate in a substantially horizontal plane, the invention is not intended to be so limited since other forms in which the wing sections may rotate in a vertical plane or any other plane, are envisaged as being within the scope of the present invention.

We claim:

1. A nozzle for a suction cleaner comprising a nozzle central section having a tube capable of being connected to the suction cleaner, a pair of nozzle wing sections positioned one on each side of said central section, said wing sections being pivotally mounted on said central section and capable of pivoting from a position in alignment with said central section rearwardly of said central section in a horizontal plane to a position inclined to and partially within said central section, said central section having a pair of hinged flaps capable of moving rearwardly of said central section to permit a portion of the upper surface and trailing face of each wing section to pass beneath the upper surface of said central section.

2. A nozzle for a suction cleaner as claimed in claim 1 wherein said wing sections have a leading edge pivotally attached to a leading edge of said central section.

3. A nozzle for a suction cleaner as claimed in claim 2 wherein said flaps each have an end pivotally attached to the trailing edge of said central section.

4. A nozzle for a suction cleaner as claimed in claim 1 including latch means carried by said flaps, and said wing sections have trailing edges capable of co-operating with said latch means to hold said wing sections in their folded position.

'5. A nozzle for a suction cleaner as claimed in claim 1 wherein each wing section has a trailing face with a plurality of openings therein, and means is provided for automatically closing said openings when said wings are in their aligned position and automatically opening said openings when said wing sections are in their inclined positions.

6. A nozzle for a suction cleaner as claimed in claim 5 wherein said means consists of plates having openings corresponding to said wing openings and each plate being slideably mounted on the interior surface of said win section trailing face, spring means biasing said plates to their opening closing position when said wing sections are aligned and said plates capable of engaging the leading edge of said central section when said wing sections are inclined and aligning said wing section openings with said plate openings.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 705,585 7/1902 Hobe 15354X 750,852 2/1904 Hart l54l8UX 2,815,525 12/1957 Lofgren l5-422X WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner A. I. CANTOR, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 15-414 

